U.S. patent number 4,409,057 [Application Number 06/226,114] was granted by the patent office on 1983-10-11 for staple supporting and removing strip.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Robert P. Molenda, George R. Rabuse.
United States Patent |
4,409,057 |
Molenda , et al. |
October 11, 1983 |
Staple supporting and removing strip
Abstract
A staple-supporting strip for use with staples when binding
documents together which affords removal and retention of the
staples. The staple-supporting strip comprises a narrow elongate
strip of tough polymeric material between 0.1 and 0.15 mm thick.
The strip may be colored or printed with a window identifying the
area for reception of the staples. A narrow coating of a low-tack
pressure-sensitive adhesive facilitates positioning of the strip on
the uppermost sheet of the documents to be stapled together.
Inventors: |
Molenda; Robert P. (Stillwater,
MN), Rabuse; George R. (Sunfish Lake, MN) |
Assignee: |
Minnesota Mining &
Manufacturing Company (St. Paul, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
22847608 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/226,114 |
Filed: |
January 19, 1981 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/92; 156/714;
227/156; 227/19; 281/5; 412/7; 427/207.1; 428/332; 428/339;
428/343; 428/357; 428/364; 428/375; 428/401; 462/71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25C
11/00 (20130101); F16B 15/0015 (20130101); Y10T
428/26 (20150115); Y10T 428/2913 (20150115); Y10T
156/1168 (20150115); Y10T 428/298 (20150115); Y10T
428/28 (20150115); Y10T 428/29 (20150115); Y10T
428/269 (20150115); Y10T 428/2933 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B25C
11/00 (20060101); F16B 15/00 (20060101); B32B
019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;428/40,343,352,220,332,337,339,357,364,375,401 ;427/207.1
;156/344 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lesmes; George F.
Assistant Examiner: Buffalow; E. Rollins
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sell; Donald M. Smith; James A.
Barnes; John C.
Claims
I claim:
1. A staple-supporting strip for use in overlying sheets to be
stapled and affording subsequent removal and retention of the
staples comprising a narrow elongate strip of tough polymeric
material with a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.15 mm (0.004 and
0.006 inch) and having a width dimension of between about 1.5 cm
and 2.5 cm (0.5 and 1 inch) and having a length of between 3 cm and
9 cm (1.13 to 3.5 inches), and a band of microsphere structured
adhesive means on said strip for temporarily adhering said strip to
the surface of a said sheet with no build-up in the adhesive bond,
thereby permitting removal of the strip without deleteriously
affecting said surface or leaving a residue at any time upon the
subsequent removal of the strip.
2. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 1 wherein said
strip is formed of polyethylene terephthalate.
3. A staple-supporting strip as defined in claim 1 wherein said
band of adhesive means comprises a narrow transversely extending
strip of readily releasable pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed
adjacent one end of said elongated strip.
4. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 3 wherein said
adhesive is an acrylate copolymer microsphere structured
adhesive.
5. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 1 wherein said band
of adhesive means comprises a narrow strip of double coated
pressure-sensitive adhesive tape applied to one surface of said
strip, with the surface of said tape exposed having said
microsphere structured pressure-sensitive adhesive coated
thereon.
6. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 5 wherein said
readily releasable adhesive is an acrylate copolymer microsphere
structured adhesive.
7. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 1 wherein said
strip has a colored ink coating on one surface thereof.
8. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 2 wherein said
strip has a colored transparent ink coated on one surface
thereof.
9. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said
ink is applied on said strip in selected areas to define a
rectangular staple-receiving area on said surface.
10. A staple-supporting strip according to claim 4 wherein said
strip has a coating of transparent colored ink on the opposite
surface, said ink coating being applied selectively to define a
rectangular staple-receiving area on said strip.
11. Method of preparing staples for removal from documents
comprising the steps of:
placing on the sheets to be stapled a narrow elongate strip of
tough polymeric material having a width dimension of between about
1.5 cm and 2.5 cm and having a length between about 3 cm and 9
cm,
pressing the strip against the uppermost sheet to adhere the strip
to the sheet by contacting an adhesive coated area of the strip to
said uppermost sheet,
placing the legs of a wire staple across the width of the strip and
through said strip and the sheets being stapled,
whereby upon grasping an end of a said strip the strip can be
peeled from said uppermost sheet and the staple will be drawn out
of said sheets.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a strip which may be applied to the stack
of sheets prior to the stapling of the sheets together such that
upon subsequent peeling of the strip from the sheets the staples
will be removed from the sheets and retained in the strip.
BACKGROUND ART
The patent art is replete with devices for the removal of staples
to separate the staples from papers such that the papers may be
individually fed into a copy machine, microfilming equipment, or
separated for filing purposes. Examples of such devices are found
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,750,148, 3,162,423, 3,344,649 and 3,494,591.
Removing staples by any of these staple removers however is time
consuming and utilize some dexterity to remove the staples rapidly
and not have the staples lying around and being lost in the carpets
or falling into the copying or microfilming equipment. The prior
art also illustrates some devices whereby the staples can be
separated from the papers and retained on the staple remover as by
the incorporation of a magnet on the remover. Nonetheless, the
operation is time consuming which is costly economically in the
handling of documents.
The present invention provides a useful device in the form of a
thin elongate strip of polymeric material which can be placed over
selected sheets to be stapled prior to the stapling and then the
staple is driven through the polymeric strip and the sheets. When
it is desired to separate the sheets, e.g. sheets of paper, for
filing, copying or microfilming the end of the strip is grasped
firmly between the thumb and the forefinger and peeled from the
sheets. Upon this peeling movement the staple is withdrawn from the
sheets and the staple or staples are retained in the polymeric
strip.
Prior art relating to staple supporting devices which protect
against disengagement and deform the staple on removal includes
U.S. Pat. No. 1,839,543 (Flood) issued Jan. 5, 1932; U.S. Pat. No.
2,335,715 (Wallace) issued Nov. 30, 1943 and U.S. Pat. No.
4,129,059 (Van Eck) issued Dec. 12, 1978.
Flood discloses a pin ticket for identifying the merchant or price
of merchandise. This ticket is generally attached by machine and
the wire staple passes through the sheet, e.g. fabric, and through
the tag and is then bent rearwardly so that the points of the
staple meet the outer face of the patch. Upon removal of the tag
the tag, preferably is defaced, and the staple deformed so that the
removed ticket cannot be replaced or substituted by hand. This tag
is positioned on the sheet opposite the crown of the staple and is
not intended to remove the staple upon pulling the tag away.
Wallace discloses a customary pin ticket for pricing merchandise
which uses a wire staple of soft and ductile wire. The ticket and
wire staple are supplied with the staple in the ticket and it is
then placed on the goods. The ends of the staple are then turned or
bent over to secure the ticket to the object. The staple ends are
usually clamped to the ticket body and removal of this ticket
usually removes the staple. The damage to the goods was dependent
on the type of material used in the goods and the wire of the
staple.
Van Eck discloses a staple-type fastener for attaching delicate
sheet materials and discloses a fastener having a cross-member
which is substantially wider than the attached prongs and uses a
receiving plate in conjunction with the fastener. The cross-member
may be made of metal or plastic sufficiently strong so that the
prongs are retained within the cross-member, examples are
polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. The width of the cross-member
is at least three times the width of the prongs. As recited, the
receiving plate is provided with a tab to facilitate unclenching
the prongs without the cross-member being pulled through the sheets
or both the cross-member and the receiving plate may have tabs
which can be grasped to unclench the staples. The cross-members are
not designed to facilitate the insertion of additional staples or
afford removal without the receiving plate.
The strip of the present invention is placed over a series of
documents to be stapled together and one or more staples are driven
through it. If additional sheets must be added to the stack they
may be placed behind the first sheets and an additional staple
pressed through the polymeric strip and into the new pages. Upon
separation of the pages the strip is peeled from the uppermost
sheet. The staples will be removed from the sheets by the strip
and, depending upon the number of sheets stapled together, the legs
of the staple are opened but the staples are retained in the
polymeric strip.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a staple-supporting strip for
use in binding sheets together and affords removal of the staples
binding the sheets when desired. The staple-supporting strip
comprises a narrow elongate strip of tough polymeric material which
is flexible. The thickness of the strip is between 0.1 and 0.15 mm
(0.004 and 0.006 inch). The strip preferably has a width of between
1.5 cm and 2.5 cm (0.5 and 1.0 inch) and a length of between 3 cm
and 9 cm (1.13 and 3.5 inches). The strip may be colored to afford
identification or it may be printed with a transparent color ink,
leaving a window identifying the area for reception of the staples.
Also, means are provided for adhering the strip to the sheets
initially, which means includes a narrow coating of a
pressure-sensitive adhesive extending transversely of the strip
intermediate the ends thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more fully described hereinafter with
reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a staple-supporting strip;
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a staple-supporting strip;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a staple supporting strip
on top of documents; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the removal of a staple supporting
strip.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a staple-supporting strip which
affords the easy removal of one or more staples from a stack of
documents having two or more sheets but generally less than
fifteen.
The staple-supporting strip of the present invention is generally
designated by the reference numeral 5 and provides a fast
economical way of removing one or more staples in one operation
after a series of documents have been stapled together. In many
document handling operations, such as accounting, billing, or the
like, a pair of documents are stapled together and then perhaps
additional documents are received which are fastened to the first
documents. This is true where the original order or shipping
document and invoice are stapled together perhaps, then the weigh
bill, and then documents dealing with payment of the invoice.
Subsequent to completion of the transaction all of the documents
are separated and microfilmed to afford a permanent record of the
transaction and the documents associated therewith. The documents
must be separated prior to microfilming and it is generally
necessary for clerical people to remove each of the staples to
allow efficient machine handling. Removal of the staples using
conventional staple removers takes a considerable amount of time.
Time is required to align the removal device with the staple and to
remove each staple successively. Some of the staples break and
remain in the papers or can fly up and cause injury. The staples
usually are left lying around and find their way to the carpet,
clothing or occasionally some of them drop into the microfilming or
copying equipment. This is very undesirable in that additional time
must then be taken to pick up the staples or to remove the same
from the equipment. The staple-supporting strip of the present
invention provides a cost effective staple removing and staple
capturing device and it provides a paper reinforcement at the
stapled area when the documents are fastened. The staple-supporting
strip is preferably transparent and colored such that it provides a
means for locating the staples and at the same time it does not
hide the printed matter beneath the staple-supporting strip. The
color of the strip may be used to prioritize or designate different
types of documents.
The staple-supporting strip 5 comprises a strip of tough polymeric
material which is transparent and flexible so as to be flexed by
the sheets of paper, etc. without tearing the sheets. The polymeric
strip is preferably formed from polyethylene terephthalate film 0.1
to 0.15 mm (0.004 to 0.006 inch) thick and which has been oriented,
preferably from 3 to 3.5:1 in the machine direction and at least
4:1 in the cross direction. The staple-supporting strip preferably
has a width of between 1.5 and 2.5 cm (0.5 and 1 inch) and a length
of between 3 and 9 cm (1.13 and 3.5 inches). A staple supporting
strip of 3 cm (11/4 inches) by 2.5 cm (1 inch) in overall dimension
can be used in fastening a single strip on two pieces of paper and
attaching the same with one staple, or additional pieces of paper
can be attached with two or more staples. A single tab of this size
could accommodate up to approximately 8 staples which are 1.2 cm
(0.5 inch) wide at the crown with a 0.6 cm (0.25 inch) leg.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the strip 5 may be printed with a
transparent ink 6 in selective areas, and as illustrated, provides
a window 7 in the strip which will serve to locate the staple area.
The window is illustrated as 1.9 cm wide and 2.9 cm long (3/4 of an
inch wide and 11/8 inches long) accommodating easily 8 staples 8,
see FIG. 3. The window is spaced 1.2 cm (1/2 inch) from one end of
the strip 5, providing a lifting area or tab which may be grasped
in one hand and peeled from the paper held with the other hand and
moved in the direction of the staples. This operation is
illustrated schematically in FIG. 4.
One example of a staple-supporting strip comprises a strip of
polyethylene terephthalate (polyester) film 0.12 mm (0.00461 inch)
thick with an orientation in the machine direction of 3 to 31/2:1
and 4:1 in the cross direction. The strip was tested as
follows:
______________________________________ ASTM 95% Property Method
Units Target Limits ______________________________________
Tensile-first M.D. D-882 lbs./in. 60.8 54.6-67.0 3% of stretch C.D.
D-882 lbs./in. 66.8 58.5-75.1 Tensile - at M.D. D-882 lbs./in.
130.0 103.5-156.5 break C.D. D-882 lbs./in. 182.0 151.6-212.4
Elongation M.D. D-882 % 150.0 110.0-190.0 C.D. D-882 % 85.0
55.0-115.0 Thickness -- inch 0.00461 0.00433- 0.00489
______________________________________
Strips of this general construction were tested with respect to
usage involving one tab, one staple, and two or more sheets of
paper.
The procedure followed and results are outlined below:
______________________________________ Test Equipment Instron .RTM.
Model TM; cross-head speed - 50 inches/min. Stapler Swingline .RTM.
94-41 Staples Swingline .RTM. Standard Staples No. 35-2D (1/2 inch
wide, 1/4 inch leg) Paper Secretary .RTM. 696 Type White Bond
______________________________________
______________________________________ Removal No. No. Force Sheets
Staples (gms.)* Observations ______________________________________
2 1 550 Staple not unclenched, paper tearing 3 1 670 Staple
slightly unclenched, paper tearing 4 1 750 Staple moderately
unclenched, paper tearing 5 1 810 Staple unclenched, no paper
tearing 6 1 840 Staple unclenched, no paper tearing 7 1 870 Staple
unclenched, no paper tearing 8 1 860 Staple unclenched, no paper
tearing 9 1 860 Staple unclenched, no paper tearing 12 1 950 Staple
unclenched, no paper tearing 15 1 990 Staple unclenched, no paper
tearing 18 1 1100 Staple unclenched, but one staple leg pulled out
of strip 21 1 1060 Staple unclenched, but one staple leg pulled out
of strip 30 1 1330 One leg of staple still in papers. Other leg
unclenched and out of paper. Staple completely torn thru strip
______________________________________ *As the number of sheets of
paper increases, the force required for stapl removal increases
principally because the length of the clenched part of the staple
decreases thereby shortening the length of the bending moment.
The strip failed to remove the staple when clenched through more
than 15 sheets of paper.
It is desirable to have means to adhere the strip to the upper
surface of the top sheet such that when stapling the strip to the
sheets the fingers can be well away from the stapler and the strip
will not shift. This can be accomplished by a readily releasable
pressure-sensitive adhesive that will permit removal of the strip
with the staples and not deleteriously affect the fibers or indicia
on the surface of the sheets or leave a residue on the surface. The
adhesive permits the placement of the staple-supporting strip on
the document at the time of printing or at a station in advance of
the stapling operation. This may then reduce the time to affect the
binding of a series of documents and the adhesive maintains the
strip in place during the stapling operation.
The preferred adhesive is an acrylate copolymer microsphere
structured adhesive as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,140 issued
to Silver on Mar. 9, 1970 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,731 issued to
Merrill et al on Apr. 6, 1973. This type adhesive allows for the
repositioning of the strip on the documents and for the removal of
the staple-supporting strip with the staples without injury to the
paper surface or lifting the printing therefrom by the
adhesive.
As shown in FIG. 2, the adhesive 9 is coated onto the strip
adjacent one end which end is opposite the free end 10 of the strip
to which the peeling force is applied as illustrated in FIG. 4.
The adhesive may be applied to the strip as a double coated tape.
The tape is coated on one side with a high-tack (permanent)
pressure-sensitive adhesive and on the other side with an acrylate
copolymer microsphere structured adhesive as disclosed above. The
high-tack adhesive, e.g., the adhesive disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
RE. 24906, coated surface is applied against the staple-supporting
strip. The tape backing can be a polyester film and the tape
thickness (with the two adhesive coated surfaces) would be
approximately 0.003 inch (0.08 mm). A release liner is generally
applied to the microsphere structure adhesive side of the double
coated tape prior to lamination to the strip.
A manufacturing method comprises the use of six inch wide
polyethylene terephthalate film. A window border using Flexotuf
Process 391 Yellow F-84464 ink supplied by Inmount Corporation, of
Clifton, N.J. 07012 is printed on the film. The long dimension 3.2
cm (13/4 inch) of the tab will be printed three across on the film.
One-half inch wide strips of double coated tape then will be
laminated to the printed film. The release liner is removed and a
paper liner is laminated to the six inch wide film to facilitate
the subsequent die cutting operation. After die cutting, the film
waste and paper liner are removed and the staple-supporting strips
5 are stacked into piles of approximately 200.
Films other than polyester have been tried but lack the necessary
properties such as toughness, and/or flexibility, and/or cost. The
film must have a combination of high-tensile strength, at low
elongation, high tear strength and high bursting strength. The
other films tried included polyethylene, polypropylene,
polycarbonate, regenerated cellulose, cellulose acetate -
triacetate -butyrate - propionate, polyamide (nylon), polyvinyl
chloride (plasticized and unplasticized), non-wovens,
polyester/polyethylene laminates, polystyrene (plain and rubber
modified), and filament tape.
Having disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention
and alternative embodiments, it is to be understood that this
invention is directed to a narrow strip of a sufficiently tough
polymeric film to receive the ubiquitous staple in a transverse
placement and support the crown of that staple as the strip and
sheets are peeled apart.
* * * * *